'The Walking Dead' Killed Off Two Main Characters In Mid-Season Finale

If you tuned in to the mid-season finale of "The Walking Dead"
last night, you definitely weren't disappointed.

After weeks of teasing, plenty of zombie gore, and minor
character deaths, the AMC series killed off two of its main
leads.

Last chance to head back before spoilers.

Viewers were floored on social media not only by the death of
medical adviser and group leader Hershel (Scott Wilson), but also
fan favorite villain, The Governor (David Morrissey).

Hershel was decapitated by The Governor who later was killed by
not one, but two women as he was subsequently stabbed by a woman
he hated (Michonne) and shot by one he loves (Lilly).

Comic creator Robert Kirkman
admitted afterward on "The Walking Dead" aftershow "The Talking
Dead" that Hershel was originally considered to be killed off in
season 2.

Hershel took the place of Tyreese in "The Walking Dead"
comics in last night's mid-season finale.AMC
/ The Walking Dead

If you're a fan of the comics
though, you probably weren't as surprised.

Honestly, it just made
sense. Of course in the comics, it's Tyreese, not
Hershel who receives multiple blows to the head by The
Governor.

The episode — and much of the
first part of season 4 — played out like the comics (minus the
entire flu virus).

Keeping the Governor around was
always supposed to lead up to this "big prison showdown" between
both him and Rick. In the comics, *spoiler*
the
Governor just happens to show up with members of Woodbury rather
than a new clan he randomly happens upon (who all decide to
follow his lead in a number of days).

After attacking the
prison, he dies at the hands of his own people for getting
tricked into harming innocent
lives.*spoiler.*

The return of the Governor showed a nicer side to the
once-Woodbury leader, before rapidly turning him back into a
madman.Gene Page /
AMC

This season when the Governor's character was given his own
two-episode story arc showing how he tried to change before
returning to being a ruthless maniac, that was all part of a
setup for his demise. (Honestly, it felt a bit rushed — showing a
softer side to the Governor before switching back to a madman in
the past two episodes.)

The more suprising death for
fans of the show and comics was Hershel's.

After all, in the
comics, it's Tyreese, not Hershel, who receives multiple blows to
the head from the Governor.

However, Chad Coleman ("The
Wire") joined the show recently as the axe-wielding Tyreese and
creator Kirkman has previously said on "The Talking Dead" that he
always wanted the "Wire" actor joining the cast as that
character. There was no way the show was going to kill off his
character after recently introducing him. His character has much
more to bring to the show for them to let him go just yet.

If you looked, there were hints
Hershel was being eyed as a major death.

When he was recently given his
own time to shine on air in episode 405, "Internment," we figured
he may be the next logical person to go. That much time spent on
his character seemed a little odd at first when you have so many
other popular characters to go in-depth with — Daryl, Maggie,
Glenn, Tyreese, Carl. Looking back, it's easy to see how
the producers were setting up for a goodbye.

Showrunner Scott Gimple
previously said all of the episodes were leading up to episode 8.
Hershel's character episode proved how much of an asset he really
was to the group, making his death feel like a real loss to the
show.

Plus, if you know the comics,
you knew the characters were all going to be on the run and
Hershel — having one leg — would have trouble traveling on the
road.

Overall, it was a fitting
ending for a character who may have seemed cast aside storywise
earlier.

Ratings for season 4 have
averaged 13 million viewers after a huge 16 million fans tuned in
for the season 4 premiere in October.

The second half of "The
Walking Dead" will focus on the addition of comic favorites Abraham (Michael
Cudlitz), Eugene, and Rosita, and the road to Washington as the
now-scattered characters try to reunite.

The show will return to AMC in February.

Watch the talked-about scenes
with Hershel and the Governor along with a tribute to Hershel's
character below: